# Do you, or did you, read comics as an adult? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2016, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635 "2016-04-09T11:47:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/61 "2016-04-11T14:07:20Z")
I’m 48 and still read them, although there what brought me back was Watchmen back in 1987. I had drifted from Marvel, DC, and Golden Key comics but Watchmen was like nothing I had ever seen. Today, it’s Walking Dead, Fables, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I Zombie and a host of others. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/62 "2016-04-11T14:19:19Z")
I bought and read monthlies regularly until about two years ago when DC cancelled all three series I was still buying (Legion, Dial H, and Threshold). The New 52 pretty much killed my interest in most of their books, of which I bought many beforehand. I continued buying Fables in trade paperback, and now that too has ended. I’ve been comic-book-free (as far as new purchases go) for about eight months now, and it feels weird, but I’m not actively seeking new ones to get hooked on. On the other hand, the Marvel movies provide me with something of a continuing fix. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/63 "2016-04-11T14:30:35Z")
I pretty much stopped a long time ago, except for special issues or series. Ignoring collected graphic novels, the – I’ve bought and read: Phil Foglio’s four-issue run of **Angel and the Ape** (excellent) His limited series **Stanley and his Monster** (not as good, but it’s the first appearance I’ve seen of The Heterodyne Boys and a strong female inventor. It’s like watching the genesis of “Girl Genius”) His 12-issue **Buck Godot: Zap Gun for Hire** (which follows his graphic novels of same) **The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen** (all incaenations) The special 12-issue series **The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine** , which was a Fantastic Four story done in the writing style and drawing style of Stan Lee and Jack Hirby. The special issue **Fantastic Four: The Lost Issue** The special 6-issue run a few years ago of **Ambush Bug** (I’ll take AB over Deadpool for self-aware comic book characters, thank you) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/64 "2016-04-11T14:35:24Z")
Wait, the Heterodyne Boys pre-existed Girl Genius? Where can one find this? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/65 "2016-04-11T14:45:32Z")
CalMeacham: > [@](#): > > Phil Foglio’s four-issue run of Angel and the Ape (excellent) > > His limited series Stanley and his Monster (not as good, but it’s the first appearance I’ve seen of The Heterodyne Boys and a strong female inventor. It’s like watching the genesis of “Girl Genius”) These were genius - I’d hoped that they would follow up with an Inferior Five series (with them as stars, not merely as guests). ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/66 "2016-04-11T18:09:47Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > A character after all is just a tool of the author and a new author might have a new use for that tool. It might make sense to carry over some characteristics and it might make sense to change others. > > Superman might play a role in a Batman story that has nothing at all to do with a role he plays in a Justice League story. > > Sometimes Clark Kent has only one living (adoptive) parent. Sometimes he has two living parents. Sometimes Lois Lane is the love of his life. Sometimes it’s Wonder Woman. > > The particular details don’t matter in isolation what matters is how they work in the context of a particular story. Continuity or its absence should always serve that particular story—it should never be an end in and of itself. The only problem I see with that is that eventually you change the character so much that they no longer seem to be the same character. Your mention of Lois vs. Wonder Woman as Superman’s love interest, for example. Lois Lane was “Superman’s Girl Friend” for virtually all of the 75 years that Superman has existed (except for, that is, when she was actually Superman’s wife). Wonder Woman never became a love interest until the New 52, and I found that very disappointing; I really thought some writer who started as a fanboy was trying to fulfill an adolescent fantasy. More recently, Superman lost his powers. He was also given a new power, some sort of energy burst that stripped him of his other powers for a time after using them. My reaction to all of this has been, yeah, this is some sort of superhero story, but it’s not Superman. Superman has a defined canon; I think one needs to be very careful about how and to what extent one changes it lest he lose the essence of the character. It can be done. John Byrne did an excellent job of tweaking the Superman character in 1985. But the New 52 changes, in my opinion, have been a disaster, and have left me wondering if I even want to continue reading the series. Let’s just say I’m hanging a lot on how well the upcoming \*Rebirth \*reboot is handled. It’s similar with Batman. For the umpteenth time, Bruce Wayne has either disappeared or apparently died, and someone else has become Batman for a while. This time it’s Jim Gordon, who has suddenly become young enough to take on the cowl (though they have said in the comic that he is 46, and I find it hard to imagine many 46-year-olds who are in the sort of shape to do what Batman does, even if they do have a mechanical robot suit). Again, it’s some kind of superhero story, but for me, it’s not Batman. Write the stories about a police commissioner turned caped crusader if you must, but don’t call them Batman, because that’s not who Batman is. As with Superman, there’s a defined canon out there - what’s wrong with just writing good stories within that canon? If you have a way-out idea about a character who is significantly different, either make it a different character, or, if it fits, write an “Imaginary/Elseworlds/What If” kind of story, in which you are able to explore your idea with the established character, but outside of the established canon. Maybe I’m just old and cranky, but if I read a Superman or a Batman story, I want to recognize the character. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/67 "2016-04-11T18:31:34Z")
Good comics for adults? Well, I see _Maus_ is well-represented. But there are others. Here’s some of my faves: - The _Cartoon History of the Universe_ by Gonick is awesome. It is what it is called: a cartoon universal history. > **[Cartoon History of the Universe Volumes 1-7: Gonick, Larry: 9780385265201:...](https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-History-Universe-Volumes-1-7/dp/0385265204)** > > Cartoon History of the Universe Volumes 1-7 \[Gonick, Larry\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Cartoon History of the Universe Volumes 1-7 - The _Contract With God_ trilogy by Eisner. Some of the best comic artwork ever, by a master of the genre - sometimes called ‘the first graphic novel’. The chapter “a contract with God” , about a religious man losing his faith and giving way to despair on the death of his daughter, is absolutely heartbreaking - it may as well have been drawn in the author’s own blood. Makes sense, when you read it was a reaction to the author’s own tragic loss of a child to cancer. > **[The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue (A Contract With God, A...](https://www.amazon.com/Contract-God-Trilogy-Dropsie-Avenue/dp/0393061051)** > > The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue (A Contract With God, A Life Force, Dropsie Avenue) \[Eisner, Will\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue (A Contract With God,... - _Persepolis_, by Satrapi an autobiography about growing up as an Iranian girl in Iran. > **[Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Graphic Library): Satrapi,...](https://www.amazon.com/Persepolis-Childhood-Pantheon-Graphic-Library/dp/037571457X)** > > Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Graphic Library) \[Satrapi, Marjane\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Graphic Library) - - The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer \* by Padua. Awesome. Part history, part steampunk fantasy, the ultimate adult geek comic. > **[Amazon.com: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True...](https://www.amazon.com/Thrilling-Adventures-Lovelace-Babbage-Computer/dp/0307908275)** > > Amazon.com: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer (Pantheon Graphic Library): 9780274811533: Padua, Sydney: Books ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/68 "2016-04-11T19:29:06Z")
I’m 55. I started collecting when I was ten (1971) – mostly mainstream Marvel and DC. I continued as an adult. Didn’t stop until a financial crisis forced me to quit around 2007. I still have a whole room full of comic books, but I haven’t bought any new stuff since that time. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/69 "2016-04-11T20:11:33Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Good comics for adults? > > - The _Cartoon History of the Universe_ by Gonick is awesome. It is what it is called: a cartoon universal history. > > [http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-History-Universe-Volumes-1-7/dp/0385265204/ref=sr\_1\_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460399098&sr=1-1&keywords=cartoon+history+of+the+universe](http://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-History-Universe-Volumes-1-7/dp/0385265204/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460399098&sr=1-1&keywords=cartoon+history+of+the+universe) > > ] Not just his Cartoon History of the Universe, but also his Cartoon History of the United States, Cartoon History of the Modern World, and various Cartoon Guides (Genetics, Computers, Physics, Statistics, Sex, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/70 "2016-04-11T21:20:54Z")
Pop for this collection– > **[A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium: Including: Jack the Ripper, The Beast...](https://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041)** > > A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium: Including: Jack the Ripper, The Beast of Chicago, Fatal Bullet \[Geary, Rick\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium: Including: Jack the Ripper, The... > [@](#): > > An engrossing, illustrated journey into true crime classics of the Victorian era, this omnibus volume contains three works in Rick Geary’s increasingly storied treasuries of murder—Jack the Ripper, The Beast of Chicago, and The Fatal Bullet. Jack the Ripper presents Geary’s inimitable tongue-in-cheek take on the 19th century’s most infamous serial killer. H. H. Holmes is the next subject in Geary’s award-winning series, as he presents the chilling, methodical murders of the world’s first serial killer in The Beast of Chicago. Lastly, Fatal Bullet explores the assassination of President James A. Garfield at the hands of an obsessive-compulsive stalker. These carefully researched presentations of true crime stories include a bibliography of research sources, presenting true facts about famous murders in an entertaining fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/71 "2016-04-11T21:26:19Z")
The only comic books I’ve read since the 80s is the Coheed and Cambria comics detailing the events of the Second Stage Turbine Blade era. It has unfortunately modern art and I miss the soft art of former eras, but the desire to see the story overrode this. But in general, modern comic art hurts my eyes. So for this reason, even self-contained stories without ridiculous reboots and resurrections do not appeal to me. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/72 "2016-04-11T22:08:25Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Not just his Cartoon History of the Universe, but also his Cartoon History of the United States, Cartoon History of the Modern World, and various Cartoon Guides (Genetics, Computers, Physics, Statistics, Sex, etc.) Yup, all are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/73 "2016-04-11T22:10:44Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Pop for this collection– > > [http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041?ie=UTF8&keywords=geary%20murder&qid=1460409581&ref\_=sr\_1\_24&s=books&sr=1-24](http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041?ie=UTF8&keywords=geary%20murder&qid=1460409581&ref_=sr_1_24&s=books&sr=1-24) Hey, that looks good. I think I’ll pick it up! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/74 "2016-04-11T22:29:45Z")
I did not read them as a kid (though I did buy a Star Wars comic before seeing the original movie – wish I hadn’t lost track of that) I have Buffy in my pull list – mostly to support the local game / comics / misc store. We did use their game room to play board games for a while. I have bought a few games, but mostly go online for that. Brian ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/75 "2016-04-11T22:40:56Z")
I had several monthly subscriptions that I used to receive in the mail, but pretty much gave it up after graduating high school ('88). Once every few years, I’ll buy a collection or a graphic novel just to see what the fuss is about on something trending or getting good reviews and they’re enjoyable, but at the hefty price tag, just can’t imagine forking over that kind of green on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/76 "2016-04-11T22:51:30Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Phil Foglio’s four-issue run of **Angel and the Ape** (excellent) > > His limited series **Stanley and his Monster** (not as good, but it’s the first appearance I’ve seen of The Heterodyne Boys and a strong female inventor. It’s like watching the genesis of “Girl Genius”) There’s an older appearance of the Heterodyne boys: _Grimjack_ #40, from 1987, in the _Munden’s Bar_ backup feature. [Here’s a page.](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wVPcBMQHuDo/S7z74BLLJFI/AAAAAAAABxI/IAQLoFPOG4g/s1600/HBOYSWEB_04.jpg) The setup, here, is that the Heterodynes come from a universe that works on the same sort of moral logic that powers, say, the Batman '66 TV show. And they wind up in a place that’s basically the Mos Eisley cantina. Fracas ensues. As far as I know, this was the first ever published appearance of the Heterodyne boys. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/77 "2016-04-11T23:05:37Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Pop for this collection– > > [http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041?ie=UTF8&keywords=geary%20murder&qid=1460409581&ref\_=sr\_1\_24&s=books&sr=1-24](http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041?ie=UTF8&keywords=geary%20murder&qid=1460409581&ref_=sr_1_24&s=books&sr=1-24) Tongue in cheek? Wit? Not sure these are terms that make me want to read accounts of nauseatingly brutal murders of real people. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/78 "2016-04-11T23:29:55Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Pop for this collection– > > [http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041?ie=UTF8&keywords=geary%20murder&qid=1460409581&ref\_=sr\_1\_24&s=books&sr=1-24](http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Victorian-Murder-Compendium-Including/dp/1561637041?ie=UTF8&keywords=geary%20murder&qid=1460409581&ref_=sr_1_24&s=books&sr=1-24) > [@Malthus](#): > > Hey, that looks good. I think I’ll pick it up! 🙂 > [@Scumpup](#): > > Tongue in cheek? Wit? Not sure these are terms that make me want to read accounts of nauseatingly brutal murders of real people. Look, it’s first class work, & shockingly well-reviewed. And there are more in the series. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/79 "2016-04-11T23:35:25Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Look, it’s first class work, & shockingly well-reviewed. > > And there are more in the series. No doubt there are good reviews. I’m just having trouble imagining a “tongue in cheek” retelling of the savage murders of several sad, poor women that I would want to read. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635/80 "2016-04-12T00:05:17Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > No doubt there are good reviews. I’m just having trouble imagining a “tongue in cheek” retelling of the savage murders of several sad, poor women that I would want to read. I did find it a little disturbing, albeit well done. It prompted the thought that the bulk of depictions of crime in nonfiction (including television) are at bottom exploitative and voyeuristic. At least most (all?) of the families of the victims in Geary’s account have long since passed on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-or-did-you-read-comics-as-an-adult/751635.md?page=5)